DHARAMSHALA: A Tibetan parliamentary delegation has submitted a 5-point petition to members of the Indian Parliament, urging India to help the resumption of dialogue between His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s representatives or the Central Tibetan Administration with the Chinese government for a speedy resolution of the Tibet issue.
The delegation comprising of Tibetan exile MPs; Mrs Dolma Tsering, Ven. Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok, Ven. Monlam Tharchin, Mr Choekyong Wangchuk and Mr Lobsang Yeshi is the preliminary group of the series of Tibetan Parliamentary felicitation and lobbying team being launched through a resolution adopted by the Standing Committee following a discussion meeting of the Tibetan lawmakers during the 7th Session of the 15th Tibetan Parliament in Dharamshala. The delegation will continue to lobby the Indian lawmakers till the end of this week.
On 16 July, the delegation met Kirti Azad of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ajay Nishad of BJP, Konakalla Narayana Rao of Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Kiren Rijiju of BJP, H.D. Devegowda, former prime minister and member of Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)), D.Kupendra Reddy of JD (S), Digvijay Singh of Indian National Congress and Thupstan Chhewang of BJP on 16 July. On 17 July, the delegation met P.A.Sangma of National People’s Party, Bhagat Singh Koshiyari of BJP, Satyavad Chaturvedi of Indian National Congress and Ramdas Athawale of Republic Party of India.
During the meeting, the Tibetan Parliamentary delegation expressed deep gratitude to the government and people of India, including the political parties which the MP represents, for their unwavering support for the resolution of the just cause of Tibet and great respect for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. They appealed the newly-elected MP of the 16th Lok Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament) to continue their support for the issue of Tibet.
The delegation while congratulating the MPs on their recent election victory also thank them for their support for the Tibetan cause. It also request their participation in the All-India Parliamentary Forum for Tibet and help revitalise the forum to bolster Tibet advocacy in the Indian Parliament and various international platforms.
Mrs. Dolma Tsering, who led the delegation apprise the Indian MPs of the current situation in Tibet and stressed, “In sheer contrast with the Chinese propaganda, the Chinese occupation of Tibet has led to the death of over 1.2 million Tibetans, destruction of over 6000 monasteries and Tibet’s natural resources and environment, and the ancient Tibetan culture and the civilization. Its forcible resettlement of over 3 million Tibetan nomads and farmers from their traditional land had virtually rendered them hapless, with Chinese demographic aggression in Tibet unabated”.
The delegation further submitted a Memorandum specifying demands to the Indian lawmakers and the Indian Government that includes; 1).Call upon China to immediately end the human rights violation in Tibet and grant freedom, justice and human rights to the Tibetans. 2) Call for unfettered access to Tibet for the media, the United Nations and International fact-finding delegations to investigate and report on the real causes behind the self-immolations. 3) To urge the Chinese Government to resume dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration for early resolution of Tibetan issue. 4) Express your solidarity by raising the issue of Tibet in the Indian Parliament and help intensify diplomatic and international pressure on the Chinese government and 5) Urge the Indian Government to make Tibetan issue a priority in India-China relationship and make India’s position on Tibet more pronounced.
Mr Choekyong Wangchuk, a member of the delegation while briefing on the current situation inside Tibet stated that “China’s repressive policies have resulted in the growing resentment against the Chinese government, leading to massive protests and spates of self-immolations.” He further added that “Already 130 Tibetans have self-immolated since 2009 and that these Tibetan protestors have called for the ‘Return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet’, ‘Freedom and Independence for Tibet’ and ‘Preservation of Tibetan Religion, Culture and Language’. Sadly, all these efforts are being met with more and more harsh repressions instead of reforms and solutions.”
The Indian leaders assured the Tibetan delegations of their unstinted support for the Tibetan people and stated that the sincere commitments to the Tibetan people by their political parties and the senior party members would be carried forward. While urging the Tibetan delegates to keep updating them of the Tibet situation in future too, the Indian lawmakers further reassured that they will do whatever possible at their disposal and raise the issue in the India Parliament during the sessions.
